Chance of being accepted at UPenn: URM, ECs, AVERAGE SAT/ACT?

Chance Me / Match Me!
1

<p>Hello fellow CC addicts.
Having submitted my ED application to Upenn (my dripping wet dream fantasy school) I've begun moonlighting all my nonexistent freetime on CC forums, scouring the threads for a student similar to me that was accepted to Penn or any Ivy for that matter.
I've found no one that has a resume quite like mine (a good thing perhaps?) so I'd really appreciate some opinions:) </p>

<p>The concrete: </p>

<p>Race: A.A.
Gender: Female
State: IN
High School Rigor: College prep/ Catholic/ Private
Rank: Lol...if only I knew. Probably somewhere in the top 5-10% if not higher. Class size: 300+
Parents?: Divorced (Father divorced twice)
-Mother is educated, MBA
-Father...not so much. HS diploma
-Income for mama: 75k (if only she weren't so determined to be successful smh I could've done QuestBridge or LEDA and had a guaranteed slot)
SAT: M: 560 CR:720 W:710 (yep, I'm math illiterate:)
ACT: 28 (But 35 on Reading. Once again, math illiterate)
GPA (4.0 scale): Weighted- 4.26 Unweighted-3.78
Course load: 6 APs and an IB (+ I took all honors classes prior to senior year, with the exception of Theology)
AP work: World History (3), European History (4), US history (5), Chemistry....(2) [Boo, I stink!] </p>

<p>The abstract: </p>

<p>ECs!:
Speech and Debate team Captain
National Speech qualifier (2 yrs)
Speech State finalist (3 yrs)
TEDx Youth Speaker (this is the big one. I actually gave a TED talk in my hometwon. It's on YouTube ((won't share link because anonymity is important to me, but it has 2,000+views))Talk was about my experience as a black girl with antiblack qualities. i.e. I can't dance, non athletic, speak fluid clear English etc. etc.)
Peer Mentor
Young Democrats club president
AP Scholar
National Achievement Scholar honorable mention or whatever is below semi
AP Scholar
I play the harp
I do at least 30 community service hours annually
I did choir for awhile and won regional awards for that
Student Ambassador
Student Life Council (Student council...but better!)
Camp counselor </p>

<p>My essays: I'm a writer. It's a passion of mine. And I know EVERYONE and their best friend's cousin says they wrote a "killer" "stellar" "excellent" essay, but I honestly believe that I have an illusory and unique narrative voice that will stand out. </p>

<p>My recs: Don't know to be honest. Both of the teachers who wrote them are fond of me and I did well in their classes but I waived my rights so.... </p>

<p>Interview: If I get one, I'll kill it. Nay, I shall slay that interview like no interview hath ever been slayeth before. Seriously, I'm good with adults, I don't get nervous (that whole speech team thing) and I like people </p>

<p>Anything else for the good of the order?
I have a very unique and specific career goal: psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner with an aspiration to focus my career on innovating mental health in urban communities where mental health is often viewed as a running joke.
But it's a serious issue. </p>

<p>DO I HAVE A CHANCE?
WAS MY $75 DONATION A WASTE?
Let me know whatcha think:)
~P.S. thank you for reading. These threads get long and tedious, I know.
And good luck with your own college journeys. </p>

<p>Up,Up and far,far away
~pennplease2015</p>

2

<p>Hmm it is a shame your SAT is not higher. You can’t really improve your GPA, it’s too late now. I’m afraid that I will say you have pretty low chances unless you get a high SAT score. Low GPA + Low SAT is not going to help you. Good luck. Your ECs will help you some but you are too weighed down by your academic success. In my own opinion while your ECs are better than your gpa and SAT they are still pretty average for an Ivy level school.</p>

3

<p>SATs and GPA are on the low side but essays (if they are how you describe them) and ECs are definitely strong. I think you have a chance, but probably not a great one. Good luck anyways!</p>

4

<p>Geez. I had no idea my GPA was considered “low.” I knew the scores were poor but basically a 3.8? Is 3.9-4.0 the only way to be considered good? btw thanks for reading </p>

5

<p>Your GPA is NOT considered low, they are BS’ing. Average Penn GPA for entering freshmen is around 3.9, but that appears to be weighted. Your SAT is quite low though, so unless you have a learning disability, you’d be a difficult pick based on that. 2100 SAT is 25th percentile, 3 out of 4 Penn freshman had better than that.</p>

<p>You could get in though, good luck. I hope you weren’t as blue in your essay though.</p>

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<p>I don’t have a learning disability (harsh much?) I’m just a poor test taker and I can’t afford fancy tutors. And I would say that if there’s ever a place where it’s appropriate to be blue, it’s on the internet, particularly in “chance me” CC forums, to break up the monotony.
I’m generally more classy. And I don’t have a learning disability.
Thanks. </p>

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<p>I might now give the best input since I’m a fellow senior in the process of applying to college, but you have the same shot as everyone else. There are others out there with far better GPAs and SAT scores, so you’re at a disadvantage there. But your great ECs will hopefully make up for that. All I can say is good luck! These chance threads can never really predict anything anyway. Seems like you have a really cool personality :)</p>

<p>I attended Penn’s fly-in program, and the kids accepted into that (who were strongly encouraged to apply by the admissions officers) came from very diverse backgrounds with very diverse scores. I didn’t apply ED, but Penn really is a great place and I’ll definitely apply in the regular round.</p>

<p>One random thing I wanted to mention: I found it a bit ignorant and offensive to call your ability to speak “fluid clear English” an anti-black quality. As an African-American female who also has the same “gift”, I can assure you that we all shouldn’t be lumped into one category, simply based on isolated experiences or the image portrayed by the media. </p>

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<p>Hmm you clearly misunderstood. My speech is called the “Oreo Effect” (didn’t want to give it out but I’m offended now) and it’s about how I’ve been shunned by blacks and given funny looks by white people for the way I dress, act, think and speak. Perhaps you live in a less racially-charged world than I but in my experience, if I don’t use ebonics black and white people tell me that I don’t “talk black” I “talk white.”
Sorry if there was a misunderstanding about that or perhaps you didn’t read closely enough but my speech reiterates the last sentence of your post. </p>

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<p>I’m honestly not “BS’ing”. Please don’t get me wrong, a 3.78 UW GPA is a great achievement but for Penn, I do believe it is a bit on the low side. I also applied to Penn ED this year with a 3.92 UW GPA and from my school, that’s only slightly above the average accepted GPA at Penn. Your GPA will not be the sole reason for a rejection but I just don’t think it’ll help you out much since it will probably be on the lower side compared to the other candidates.</p>

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<p>I understand what you’re saying. It’s all in the adcoms’ hands now. I appreciate your perspective :)>- </p>

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<p>i think u will have a good shot especially if ur resonates as much as u say they will. Yes ur scores are a bit on the lowe end but ur extenuating circumstances kind of explain that. </p>

<p>Chance back? <a href=“http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1701416-chance-me-for-upenn-mit-and-uchicago-please.html#latest”>http://talk.collegeconfidential.com/what-my-chances/1701416-chance-me-for-upenn-mit-and-uchicago-please.html#latest&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;

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<p>I don’t think it was a misunderstanding as much as it was a lack of explanation in your original post.</p>

<p>I’ve definitely gotten my share of ignorant “oreo” comments, but I don’t think the ability to “sound white” or “talk ghetto” has any bearing on intelligence. Many of my inner city friends who “talk ghetto” are the ones with 2300’s and 4.0’s. It’s so sad that you were shunned and haven’t gotten the opportunity to experience real diversity. I’ve been fortunate enough to not experience that. I’m glad that you highlighted that misconception in your speech.</p>

<p>Sorry to digress. Best of luck on your applications.</p>

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<p>It’s not about intelligence so much as it’s about perception. I don’t need people to see my race when they look at me. I don’t need them to judge my behavior against a cookie cutter stereotype. I just need them to accept who I am externally as an extension of who I am internally. I think we’re on the same page, just using different words. Good luck to you as well :-bd </p>

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<p>Curriculum, class rank, and test scores are all sufficient to get you to a second reading. What are your SAT SUbject scores - as those will be checked to see whether class grades reflect rigor or grade inflation?
Your profile is unique and interesting - and that will matter much more than the difference between 3.78 and 3.83. As long as you’ve got 3.75 in a rigorous program, you’ve shown you’re capable of doing the work. I trust you managed to let your voice “sound” like you in your essays and you’re from Indiana, meaning you bring geographical diversity.
So, all in all, I’d say your odds are better than most! However, remember that means one in three… So start working on your RD applications, so that you don’t scramble writing 10 essays in 10 days after the ED decision falls.</p>

<p>Note that you may have dyscalculia, which is like dyslexia but for numbers :)… not “math illiterate”. But then again, you could just be “not that good” at math, the way some aren’t that good at seeing nuances in a text as they’re reading. You can always check… or leave it.</p>

15

<p>Although my daughter did not apply to UPenn, she was highly recruited to submit an application, and she had score just slightly higher than yours–and she was admitted at 3 out of the 4 Ivies she made application. Hmmn, for whatever its worth, my daughter is currently a freshman (in New Haven) and had the following: SAT, 2130, her high score was 770 in math and I think 710 in reading. Ranked #2 in her prep school out of 400+, seniors, 4.4 weighted, AP english/comp, calculus, physics, biology all As. nationally ranked math team captain, URM (native), ranked in her state as a cross country runner, voted student athlete of the year twice, very delineated ties and service to her ancestral lands and community (its a native thing) and strong interest in pursuing a major in the STEM fields. She was also accepted at Pomona, Washington U, Vandy, Dartmouth, Brown, USC, and Georgetown. In total, I think, she applied at 12-13 schools, and accepted at 10.</p>

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<p>I don’t think you wasted your $75. I was enjoying your conversational writing style, and then saw that you’re a writer. Well, there you go. </p>

<p>A few points: I would not mention community service if it’s a school requirement, unless you did many more hours or something exceptional.
It might have been autocorrect, and this is only a forum posting, but double-check the meaning of “illusory.”
Ditto the changed meaning of what you intended, caused by missing commas. I know it’s only CC, but … :)</p>

<p>Re your UW GPA: I don’t know why everyone’s knickers are in a twist. I know a number of kids accepted to Upenn with roughly the same. Nbd. </p>

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<p>Lol I believe her scores are a little more than “slightly higher” than mine but thanks for the perspective. Your daughter sounds like a star!</p>

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<p>I’m going to have to research that dyscalculia thing…I stopped being good at math around pre-algerba when they mixed numbers and letters together so perhaps there’s some connection. Once again, thanks for the perspective! :)>- </p>

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Did you get in!?